UPDATED with Pic! Richard Linklater's BEFORE MIDNIGHT Is Already Finished?!

According to Deadline it's done - Richard Linklater shot his next movie in the BEFORE series, BEFORE MIDNIGHT, under the radar, and the Ethan Hawke/Julie Delpy movie, shot in Greece, apparently wrapped last night. There had been rumors about the movie for a couple of weeks, but I don't think anyone had any idea that he was actually shooting it at this time - it seems like they were preparing to make it for a few weeks. That's stealth filmmaking, Mr. Linklater.

So what's the movie about? We're unsure at this moment, and that's fine. When we last saw these characters Jesse was going to miss that plane, and the relationship between him and Celine had entered an uncharted phase. So what's happened since? I love these movies and I can't wait to find out. So now that it's finished, we should expect to see BEFORE MIDNIGHT very soon. Perhaps this year?

And apparently that picture above is our first look - again thanks to Deadline. Click to embiggen!

With respect, friend, the first one ended with poetry and mystery -- but they managed to match (or supersede) that ending with the sequel. I have faith that they'll be able to do the same with the third.
The big question is whether this will finish the story, or will it remain open for future episodes. I think it would fantastic if they continued these films every ten years or so, revisiting the characters as they age in real time.

So that would put them in, what, their sixties, if they do two more? That would make a nice arc. I also like the idea that Linklater has thought that far ahead for the characters, and isn't just making it up as he goes along.

I really wish Richard Linklater would do another animated talky movie about life, the meaning, our dystopian path were taking as a civilization. A chance for Alex Jones to do another crazy rant. I loved when he got taken away in A Scanner Darkly.

Unlike a lot of directors out there that go on about how they want to do this or that, this guy goes out there and does it. I give him a ton of credit for that. And most of the time even if he makes a film that isn't very good (Fast Food Nation for instance), at least it has it's moments.

Love the idea that this "Before" series could be a five-film arc. Not sure why I've missed these, because I generally do dig Linkletter's easy sense of humor, his genuine love for wordplay and the art of conversation, and his commitment to experimentation. Even when he falls a little short for me (Fast Food Nation, A Scanner Darkly), his flicks are always interesting. While it's not a straight-up screwball comedy like School of Rock, Bernie was kinda funny and fascinating, and it was great to see him working with "Hollywood Jack" again. Waking Life is still my favorite though and, yes, I would also love to see him do another rotoscoped rumination on our "interesting times."

The missed connection thing was already done so I assume they are married or at least a couple in this one. Richard Linklater is awesome. His track record of movies is truly underrated. I watched Slacker again recently and it's still brilliant considering it was basically a student film made with no money. Dazed & Confused is a classic and Before Sunrise is fantastic. I agree with the above talkbacker....Ethan was going through a nasty Uma Thurman divorce and looked like a meth-head in the sequel.

Not to be graphic, but I would give my bollocks to see, "Before Fucking" co-directed by Gaspar Noe, Harmony Korine, Larry Clark, or even Catherine Breillat, to give Linklater the courage of his convictions. I mean - these entire seasons are leading up to this right?

For those saying it'll ruin the end of the last one, that's what we thought before Before Sunset came out with regards to the first film. I trust these guys to get it right. Besides it's more about following these characters at various stages in their lives than about resolving the open-ended ending of the previous film.

...I really enjoy the first two. They're just simple, honest, romantic movies and that's a great thing to see in a movie business dominated by explosions and hundred-million-dollar budgets.
I actually FEEL for these characters and, when I saw the pair in WAKING LIFE (a very...interesting...film) it made me smile.

Title for the next: 'Before Now'. I actually have predicted for the past nine years that 'Before Now' would be the title of this upcoming third one. Or maybe they hold off and use this title for the fifth and final. Either way, 'Before Now' is too fitting a title to pass up for this series.

i am interested by the stealth filming, i take it as a good sign
fingers crossed, ready to love it
this is a movie trilogy, there are conventional places to take this that, if the journey is right, can give us the kind of satisfying ending that only also comes with great sex

1. The setting. Greece? It makes me a bit nervous that this one is going to go full-on political statement on us. There was some of that in "Before Sunset", and I always just try and make it through that crap at the beginning until they start discussing their relationship again. And with what's happening economically in Greece these days, it really makes me worry that this one is going to turn into a giant political rant. That's not what made the first film work...nor the second. I hope that's not what we get here.
2. The title. I know it's a nitpick, but why call this "Before Midnight" when you can't possibly bookend that name with anything else? I was really hoping for "Before Sunrise", "Before Sunset", "After Sunrise" and "After Sunset". Where do you go from midnight? Dawn? Anyone else feel the same?

...but we also have to remember that Linklater gives Hawke and Delpy a TON of control over their characters; hell, they write the thing together...so if Delpy is feeling political, dammit we're gonna hear about it. If Hawke is pissed because he looks like Josh Brolin circa American Gangster, we're gonna hear about that too...but we'll get to the good Jesse and Celine stuff by the end...hopefully.